Global Environmental Issues and Environmental Management System - Case Study Example

Name: Tutor: Course: Date: Environmental Management An environmental management system (EMS) is the part of an organization’s management system used to develop and execute its environmental policy and manage its environmental features. According to Marguglio (1991), an EMS serves as an instrument to advance environmental performance. It provides a methodical way of managing the environmental affairs of an organization. In addition to this, the EMS gives order and consistency in addressing the organizations environmental concerns. This is done through the allocation of resources, responsibility assignment and evaluation of practices, processes and procedures. Another work of an EMS is in the addressing of immediate and long-term impacts of the organizations products and services. Finally, the EMS centers on the constant growth of the system (Marguglio, 1991). Environmental management systems can be in-house or ISO 14001: 2004. The in-house type is designed and implemented by a company to its own specification while an ISO 14001: 2004 is an international standard that specifies the different elements of an EMS and how they relate to one another (Marguglio, 1991). The remarkable events in Hull in June 2007 were caused by the tremendous weather, but the level of flooding was subjective to the weaknesses in the drainage system and lack of a tactical approach to minimizing risk. Thousands of homes and businesses in Hull linger at risk of flooding from great events which may become more recurrent with climate alteration. Even as Hull is predominantly susceptible, many other UK cities are also at risk. On 25 June 2007 heavy rain fell in the Leeds region, with many places getting a typical month’s rain in just 24 hours. Wyke Beck in Leeds, together with many other rivers and watercourses across the area, were unable to get by and overtopped their banks, flooding properties in many areas. In 2000, remote parts of Leeds flooded and the city almost experienced widespread flooding. More than 250 houses and 50 businesses flooded even though the peak floods levels having a comparatively low return period. Global Environmental Issues The last few decades have witnessed many conventions, treaties and protocols for the reason of global environmental protection. Examples of environmental issues of global importance are: • Ozone layer depletion • Loss of biodiversity • Global warming An important characteristic of this environmental dilapidation is that it affects all mankind on a worldwide scale without regard to any particular region, country or race. Ozone Layer Depletion Earth’s atmosphere has three regions, namely troposphere, stratosphere and mesosphere. The stratosphere lengthens from 10 to 50 kms from the Earth’s exterior. It is concentrated with a little pungent smelling, light bluish ozone gas. Ozone is formed and destroyed naturally in the atmosphere and until lately, this outcome in a well-balanced symmetry. Ozone is produced when oxygen molecules take in ultraviolet radiation of wavelengths less than 240 nanometers and is destroyed once it absorbs ultraviolet radiation of wavelengths greater than 290 nanometres. Recently, scientists have measured a seasonal reduction of the ozone cover primarily at the South Pole. This incident is being called the ozone hole (Darlene, Robert and Terrence, 2006). Global warming Human actions freed very few gases into the atmosphere before industrial revolution. Over the last century, it was established out that the earth is getting warmer, unlike preceding 8000 years when temperatures have been comparatively constant. The current temperature is 0.3 - 0.6 oC warmer than it was a century ago (Darlene, Robert and Terrence, 2006). Carbon dioxide is the key greenhouse gases (GHG) causing global warming. Carbon dioxide has two main anthropogenic (human-caused) sources: the burning of fossil fuels and changes in use of land. This is contributing to the rapid increase in atmospheric concentrations ever since Industrial Revolution. Some greenhouse gases arise naturally in the atmosphere, while others are from human activities (Darlene, Robert and Terrence, 2006). Observations demonstrate that global temperatures have increased by about 0.6 °C over the 20th century. There is strong proof now that most of the practical warming over the last 50 years is based on human activities. Climate models forecast that the global temperature will increase by about 6 °C by the year 2100. Generally, the faster the change in climate, the larger will be the danger of damage. The mean sea level is likely to rise 9 - 88 cm by the year 2100, resulting in flooding of low lying regions and other damages (Darlene, Robert and Terrence, 2006). Regulatory frameworks International treaties may or may not be obligatory legal requirements on signatories, usually nationwide governments. In case the UK is a signatory to a treaty, there could be a global aspect to European and national legislation. This may not be obvious at organization, site and operator level. One would expect organizations working across national boundaries to be conscious of international duties. International treaties include: the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the consequent Kyoto Protocol (UNFCC, 2004); the United Nations Convention on Long-Range Tran boundary Air Pollution (UN, 1979) and the consequent Convention on Long-Range Tran boundary Air Pollution on Further Reduction of Sulphur Emissions (UN, 1994) and the Rio Convention on Biological Diversity (UN, 1992) (Graeme, Diana and Andrew, 2010). The UK has three environmental regulators, the Environment Agency for England and Wales (EA), the Environment and Heritage Service Northern Ireland (EHSNI) and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA). These regulators have designed a web-based tool called NetRegs. It helps organizations navigate throughout the network of environmental legislation. Though NetRegs is meant for small and medium sized businesses, it is helpful for all types of organizations. NetRegs categorizes authorized requirements into two broad areas: management plans on legal requirements that are commonly applicable and sector strategies on legal requirements for exact business and manufacturing sectors (Graeme, Diana and Andrew, 2010). The environmental regulation of businesses and other organizations intends to guard human health and the environment from destruction in the context of development that is sustainable. Conventionally, regulation of the environmental covers the environmental media (land, air and water), collectively with wildlife conservation and protection (Graeme, Diana and Andrew, 2010). It has centered on the control of polluting releases and on keeping and improving waste management and water quality. Since the early 1990s, a more incorporated advance has been taken across every media with Integrated Pollution Control (IPC) in Wales, England and Scotland and, of late, the Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control (IPPC) European Directive (EC, 1996) (Graeme, Diana and Andrew, 2010). In the near future, crucial environmental legislation is probable to be developed in areas such as administration of the environmental effects of products and connected actions and services by accepting a lifecycle approach, efficient utilizing of resources as ingredient of the drive towards sustainable use and creation, safeguarding and enrichment of biodiversity and finally communal and collective responsibility (Christopher, 1999). Legislation supply environmental regulators with precise duties and powers. These duties are what regulators must do hence tend to be prescriptive. An example is the duty to establish and issue environmental permits. Powers are generally optional in the way they are used. For example powers to enter property or to take suitable enforcement action. Once a power has been utilized, say to go into premises, there may be duties that are appropriate such as to ban activities that are bringing harm to the environment (Christopher, 1999). The advance that regulators take up for their regulatory actions, including compliance evaluation and enforcement, usually follows the model: • apply a set of regulations; • supervise and evaluate compliance with the rules; and • implement compliance with the regulations. Regulators give guidance on the necessities for permits and on how one can apply for them. This includes technological guidance, such as PPC assistance on Best Available Techniques (BAT). An example is on environmental evaluation, energy effectiveness and sector definite BAT requirements (Christopher, 1999). Permit conditions normally set out requirements in areas like emission limit values. These are numerical restrictions for discharges and ambient impurity loads, sometimes articulated as a range of suitable environmental loading. Another area is in technical standards where the operation and safeguarding of abatement equipment to particular limits. Management standards are also catered for these requirements. This is done by managing and training employees, communication arrangement and operational procedures (Christopher, 1999). In addition to these, preventative measures are necessary to prevent or decrease incidents and accidents which might bring pollution and other environmental harm. Lastly, notifications and reporting requirements are employed in self-monitoring data and information, and document records to legal compliance checks, completed progress and maintenance checks. The regulators may also include improvement measures and programs when they feel that further resources and further period of time is required to meet up permit conditions. According to Christopher (1999) sometimes the regulators may consider enforcing other requirements. This is evident with the EU Greenhouse Gas Emissions Trading Scheme. This scheme gives companies the flexibility to meet emissions aims according to their own plan. This is done by permitting participants to operate in allowances. In this way overall emissions declines are attained in the most cost-effective possible way (Graeme, Diana and Andrew, 2010). Introducing environmentally sound technologies (ESTs) will not only create new results for industries in developed countries, or transfer technologies to developing countries but also bring opportunities. This can also lead to risks too. The solution to avoiding these is to appreciate the impacts the fresh technologies may have, and to survey alternatives before making important investments. Environmental technology evaluation is a vital tool which helps decision makers come up with informed choices (Dora, David and John, 2006). The genuine value of environmental technology assessment is that it sets environmentally sound technologies (ESTs) in a broader background by providing decision creators with a purpose analysis of the constructive and unconstructive effects of the introduction. They also analyze the use of a technology on the environment and the public. It can be used at the micro- or macro-level and entails multiple stakeholder viewpoints. At the micro-level, EnTA is used in an explicit technology to show environmental impacts and likely alternative technologies. At the macro-level, technology is not identified as a piece of paraphernalia or a single procedure, but relatively as a production system such as car manufacturing or mining. EnTA’s strong point as an evaluation tool is that it permits decision makers to expect the environmental penalties of a variety of technologies and make decisions in line with the policies of a country (Dora, David and John, 2006). UNEP’s anticipating the Environmental Effects of Technology is a two-part manuscript containing a briefing and workbook to be utilized by people in government and other areas. It is intended to assist the user be more conscious of sensitive to and capable to act on potentially undesirable effects of new technology. This new technology includes fresh or adapted technologies that are initiated to a country or locality. Expecting the Environmental Effects of Technology outlines ten steps for carrying out a technology assessment. The first step is examining the reason for the planned technology. This helps in anticipating both the helpful and any likely undesirable side effects. It also assists in understanding what the substitutes may be. Secondly, the technology is described at step 2. It includes material and energy inputs industrial and engineering processes, capital and labor inputs, and operations, scale of operation and transportation requirements products and byproducts as well as when the technology will be installed, what important modifications or developments it will engage and when, and how fast, it will substitute older technologies (Dora, David and John, 2006). The next step involves a consideration of r alternatives. These include potential systems alterations or other advances to dealing with the cause for introducing the planned new technology. The forth step examines future trends and events and how they will affect the technology, and what impact it may have on them. Identification of affected stakeholders is done at level five. Individuals, institutions and organizations that may be affected by a given technology or, on the contrary, how they can manipulate it are catered for. It is significant to know who they are and their probable role. At level six, we Identify and evaluate potential impacts. Direct impacts are classified as those arising from the technology itself, its results or production, and its uses. They can comprise proposed or designed payback such as better energy efficiency. It is equally vital to evaluate and assess indirect or resultant costs and benefits. The most important environmental impacts are expected to be on energy, land, labor, minerals and the environment itself (Dora, David and John, 2006). Identifying key decision makers is done at level seven. A decision is made on who has ability to act or influence technology. This is not essentially straightforward. It can be the private sector, government, corporate or non-business groups, or a combination of these. Another important level is level eight which identifies action alternatives for the framework that supports decision-making. An example is the government actions of regulations, incentives permits and disincentives. All these can be powerful tools for determining choices. Conclusions are drawn at level nine and finally recommendations made at level ten (Dora, David and John, 2006). Works cited Marguglio B.W., (1991). Environmental management systems: M. Dekker. Darlene R.S., Robert D., Terrence E.Y.J., (2006). The Greenhouse Effect: Warming the Planet; Exploring Science: Compass Point Books. Christopher J.B., (1999). Environmental management: principles and practice Routledge environmental management series: Routledge. Graeme A. H, Diana B, Andrew D. M. (2010). International handbook on regulating nanotechnologies Elgar original reference: Edward Elgar Publishing. Dora M, David A, John P. (2006).The international handbook on environmental technology management Elgar original reference: Edward Elgar Publishing. Read More